1 Samuel 15- A rejected rebel
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(1Samuel 15:1-3 ) A clear, radical objective: destroy Amalek.
1 Samuel 15:1–3 (KJV 1900)
1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. 2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
a. Samuel also said to Saul: This was a message from the spiritual leader of Israel to the political and military leader of Israel. The message was clear: DESTROY AMALEK
i. The judgment Israel was to bring against Amalek was frighteningly complete: Kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. God clearly told Samuel to tell Saul to bring a total judgment against the Amalekites.
ii. Utterly destroy: WIPE OUT
b. Why? What did the Amalekites do that was so bad? Samuel explained that to Saul also: I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Centuries before this, the Amalekites were the first peoples to attack Israel after their escape from Egypt (Exodus 17).
i. Hundreds of years before, the LORD said He would bring this kind of judgment against Amalek: Then the LORD said to Moses, " 14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”(Exodus 17:14-16)
And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
The Amalekites committed a terrible sin against Israel. When the nation was weak and vulnerable, the Amalekites attacked the weakest and most vulnerable of the nation (attacked your rear ranks, all the strangers at your rear, when you were tired and weary). They did this with no provocation, no reason except violence and greed. God hates it when the strong take cruel advantage over the weak, especially when the weak are His people. So God promised to bring judgment against the Amalekites.
(1Sa 15:4-6) Saul prepares for war with the Amalekites.
4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. 6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
a. So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them
he laid in wait in the valley
1 Sam 15:7-9
And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
a. Saul attacked the Amalekites: This was good, and in obedience to the LORD. But it was a selective, incomplete obedience. First, Saul took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. God commanded Saul to bring His judgment on all the people, including the king.
(1Sa 15:10-11) God's word to Samuel.
Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.
Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.
a. I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king: God's heart was broken over Saul's disobedience. The man who started out humble and submissive to God was now boldly going his own way in disobedience to God.
Samuel explains the consequences of Saul’s disobedience to him. Saul tries to rationalize his sin. Samuel informs him that God has taken the kingdom from his hands. Samuel then cuts Agag into pieces! Samuel issues this harsh and true rebuke:
1 Samuel 15:22-23 And Samuel said,Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,As in obeying the voice of the Lord?Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,And to hearken than the fat of rams.23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord,He hath also rejected thee from being king.
And Samuel said,
Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to hearken than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord,
He hath also rejected thee from being king.
This man's disobedience cost him the entire kingdom! His disobedience caused him to lose God’s blessing. DON’T LET DISOBEDIENCE DISQUALIFY YOU .
I- Saul’s Disregard-rebellion (1 Samuel 15:23)
Saul rebelled to the command of God. He did not obey.
Partial obedience is still disobedience
To rebel is to go our way not God’s way
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way;
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned every one to his own way;
And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
God has a set way and rules- to do anything else is sin and rebellion
Romans 3:12 12 They are all gone out of the way
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Hosea 14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?Prudent, and he shall know them?For the ways of the Lord are right,And the just shall walk in them:But the transgressors shall fall therein.
Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?
Prudent, and he shall know them?
For the ways of the Lord are right,
And the just shall walk in them:
But the transgressors shall fall therein.
God equates rebellion to witchcraft
We elevate us and what we want over God when we sin
James 1- Sin is from our lusts
What we want
The way of a rebel is hard
Proverbs 13:15 But the way of transgressors is hard
She is more precious than rubies:
And all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Someone who is rebellious to God won’t accept his way
Including his way of salvation
-Jesus
God is pleased with obedience! - “To obey is better than sacrifice”- Obey God
Obey! When it’s hard, in private, not the popular thing!
II- Saul’s Disobedience- Stubbornness
Saul was stubborn.
Stubborn: A refusal to accept authority
Jesus said BLESSED ARE THE MEEK- Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Meekness- “Meekness is not weakness. The word “meek” means yielded. It literally has the idea of strength under control. When an animal, especially a horse, is domesticated, it is trained so a rider can sit on its back or so it can pull a plow. The proper term for this process is that the animal has been ”meeked.” It has been broken. Now it yields to the rider or the yoke. Now the animal exhibits strength under control. That’s what meekness is.”- Adrian Rogers
A hard and stubborn heart grieves God
Mark 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts,
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
We are to receive what God says meekly- submit to it
James 1:21 receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Psalm 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment:And the meek will he teach his way.
The meek will he guide in judgment:
And the meek will he teach his way.
III- God’s delight.
Religious observance without obedience is empty before God.
The best sacrifice we can bring to God is a repentant heart (Psalm 51:16-17)
For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it:
Thou delightest not in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
our bodies surrendered to His service for obedience (Romans 12:1).
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
- One could make a thousand sacrifices unto God, work a thousand hours for God’s service, or give millions of dollars to His work. But all these sacrifices mean little if there is not a surrendered heart to God, shown by simple obedience.
- In sacrifice we offer the flesh of another creature; in obedience we offer our own will before God. Luther said, “I had rather be obedient, than able to work miracles.” - Trapp)
Don’t be rebellious. Don’t be stubborn. Follow God's way.
God way to salvation is the most important thing you can accept